Convert Kilowatts to Megawatts
1 kilowatt is 0.001 MW. One kilowatt is exactly 0.001 megawatts.
One kilowatt is 0.001 megawatts. To convert kilowatts to megawatts, multiply by 0.001; to go the other way, divide by 0.001 or multiply by 1000. The factor is exact rather than rounded: it follows from NIST Special Publication 811. A thousand watts.
Factor checked against the defining standard · How we check
- Kilowatts × 0.001
value * 0.0010.001 MW
1 kilowatt in every power unit
| Unit | Value | Exact factor |
|---|---|---|
| horsepower | 1.34102209 hp | × 1.3410220896 |
| metric horsepower | 1.359621617 PS | × 1.3596216173 |
| watts | 1,000 W | × 1,000 |
| kilowatts (as entered) | 1 kW | — |
| megawatts | 0.001 MW | × 0.001 |
| BTU per hour | 3,412.141633 BTU/h | × 3,412.14163313 |
Factors are entered by hand from NIST Special Publication 811 rather than derived from a units library, so the ones that terminate are exact rather than rounded.
How do you convert kilowatts to megawatts?
- 1.Take the measurement in kilowatts.
- 2.Multiply by 0.001 — that is how many megawatts fit in one kilowatt.
- 3.To go back the other way, divide by 0.001, or multiply by 1000.
Worked example: 25 kilowatts to megawatts
- Formula
- kW × 0.001 = MW
- Arithmetic
- 25 × 0.001 = 0.025 MW
- Answer
- 25 kW = 0.025 MW
The factor is exact, so this figure is exact too — only the display is rounded.
Kilowatts to megawatts conversion table
| Kilowatts | Megawatts |
|---|---|
| 1 kW | 0.001 MW |
| 2 kW | 0.002 MW |
| 3 kW | 0.003 MW |
| 4 kW | 0.004 MW |
| 5 kW | 0.005 MW |
| 6 kW | 0.006 MW |
| 7 kW | 0.007 MW |
| 8 kW | 0.008 MW |
| 9 kW | 0.009 MW |
| 10 kW | 0.01 MW |
| 12 kW | 0.012 MW |
| 15 kW | 0.015 MW |
| 20 kW | 0.02 MW |
| 25 kW | 0.025 MW |
| 50 kW | 0.05 MW |
| 100 kW | 0.1 MW |
| 200 kW | 0.2 MW |
| 300 kW | 0.3 MW |
| 500 kW | 0.5 MW |
| 1000 kW | 1 MW |
| 2000 kW | 2 MW |
| 5000 kW | 5 MW |
| 10000 kW | 10 MW |
What is a kilowatt?
A thousand watts. Electric motors, kettles and EV chargers are rated here, and a kilowatt is close to 1.34 horsepower.
What is a megawatt?
A million watts. Generating plant and grid capacity are quoted in it: one megawatt runs roughly 750 homes in the US at average draw.
How many megawatts are in a kilowatt?
One kilowatt is 0.001 megawatts, exactly. Going the other way, one megawatt is 1000 kilowatts. Both figures come from the same defined relation rather than from a measurement, which is why they are the same today as they were in 1959.
Every power unit here
| Unit | Symbol | One of these is |
|---|---|---|
| Horsepower | hp | 745.69987 watt |
| Metric horsepower | PS | 735.49875 watt |
| Watts | W | the base unit |
| Kilowatts | kW | 1000 watt |
| Megawatts | MW | 1000000 watt |
| BTU per hour | BTU/h | 0.29307107 watt |
Source: NIST Special Publication 811 — mechanical horsepower is 550 ft·lbf/s exactly
Questions people actually ask
- How many megawatts are in a kilowatt?
- 0.001. A million watts. Generating plant and grid capacity are quoted in it: one megawatt runs roughly 750 homes in the US at average draw.
- How do I convert megawatts back to kilowatts?
- Divide by 0.001, or multiply by 1000 — they are the same operation.
Other power conversions
Megawatts to kilowatts — the same conversion the other way.